Hope Springs Movie Review

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My fantasy has finally come true. For years I've dreamed of a Meryl Streep/Tommy Lee Jones sex scene, and Hope Springs turned those dreams into reality. Funny and heartwarming, Hope Springs looks at the efforts of an aging couple whose marriage is hanging on by threads.

Hope Springs is directed by David Frankel, whose recent credits include Marley & Me and The Devil Wears Prada. Frankel knows how to find the right balance between comedy and drama, and does so once again with Hope Springs. I had heard rumors that the film was less a comedy than a depressing tale of a marriage that had gone to the wolves, but while there are some sobering moments, the movie rarely veers too far of course.

The movie's success rests largely on the shoulders of Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep, as a movie starring Tommy Lee Jones and Meryl Streep should. Both turn in fine performances, with Jones being particularly good as a curmudgeon who must break out of his crusty shell and let his inverted penis un-invert. Some people have faulted his character for being unrealistically resistant, and I could see that, but Jones is entertaining nonetheless.

The only odd part of Hope Springs is the casting of Steve Carell. The funnyman does an okay job as the couple's therapist, but given that the movie is a comedy, it's strange that none of Carell's comedic are put to use. Any actor could have played the role, so why not play to Carell's strengths?

Hope Springs is an entertaining and funny movie. It may hit too close to home for some, but Streep and Jones light it up, both in general, and in bed. I'm going to sleep well tonight.